Stock by Attribute v4.0 addon for v1.3.5-1.3.9

Thanks mc12345678. I see that the SBA github file I referenced was your branch, I think I got confused with the branches when looking for the right link to post. The actual version on my install was the master - https://github.com/potteryhouse/stock_by_attribute_1.5.4, last edited a month ago.

I'll have a go at providing detailed feedback although github is still a bit of a mystery to me.

I appreciate your comments weren't exactly aimed at me but it looks as though I might have given the impression that I was impatient for this to work. I didn't mean it to come across that way, I was only trying to give some feedback to help with the development of this mod.

Thank you for the excellent work you are doing for Zencart. :thumbsup:

Cheers

Simon

Darn, I was really hoping it was the older version and that the more recent verson would have corrected some/all of those issues. It may be that I still haven't uploaded the version that is working for me also... I'm trying not to cause any issues by uploading too early, want to try to get it right. :)

Stock By Attribute (SBA) Stock Page Version 1.5.4
(You are presently using: v1.5.4)

Hi

Any help at all much appreciated!

My site doesnt notify of the item/attribute out of stock message for any item that has 0 quantity in the sba data, if the other attributes have quantity.
it allows the item in the cart without any message up untill the "total" quantity available (all attribute qty's added up).

if t-shirt - green has 2 qty, and t-shirt - red has 2 qty, and t-shirt - blue has 0 qty; t-shirt blue has no message until the qty for blue is up to 5 in the cart.

merica:

Stock By Attribute (SBA) Stock Page Version 1.5.4
(You are presently using: v1.5.4)

Hi

Any help at all much appreciated!

My site doesnt notify of the item/attribute out of stock message for any item that has 0 quantity in the sba data, if the other attributes have quantity.
it allows the item in the cart without any message up untill the "total" quantity available (all attribute qty's added up).

if t-shirt - green has 2 qty, and t-shirt - red has 2 qty, and t-shirt - blue has 0 qty; t-shirt blue has no message until the qty for blue is up to 5 in the cart.

What are the settings on the product for Product Qty Min/Unit Mix? Is there only one option name associated with the product having say these three option values? When was the software installed in this system downloaded from https://github.com/potteryhouse/stock_by_attribute_1.5.4?

And the out-of-stock message you are talking about is that shown on the screen or in the cart, but not the low-stock email, correct?

installed sba between 4-3 months ago.
i changed the value to no with same results.
one option name and 3 option values. there are more values associated with the option name but not for this product.

havent checked the emails, right now showing (or not showing) in the cart screen on top and next to item name.
it's allowing the purchase of not-in-stock attributes. if one attribute has zero stock, that att can still checkout as long as it's qty doesnt become larger than the combined total of the other three att qty's.

Stock ID Unique Combo Variant Quantity Sort Order Custom ID Description Edit Delete
4545 303-6358 Color: Black
0 0 Edit Quantity Delete Variant
4549 303-6453 Color: Steel
0 0 Edit Quantity Delete Variant
4546 303-6455 Color: White
2 0 Edit Quantity Delete Variant

merica:

installed sba between 4-3 months ago.
i changed the value to no with same results.
one option name and 3 option values. there are more values associated with the option name but not for this product.

havent checked the emails, right now showing (or not showing) in the cart screen on top and next to item name.
it's allowing the purchase of not-in-stock attributes. if one attribute has zero stock, that att can still checkout as long as it's qty doesnt become larger than the combined total of the other three att qty's.

merica:

Stock ID Unique Combo Variant Quantity Sort Order Custom ID Description Edit Delete
4545 303-6358 Color: Black
0 0 Edit Quantity Delete Variant
4549 303-6453 Color: Steel
0 0 Edit Quantity Delete Variant
4546 303-6455 Color: White
2 0 Edit Quantity Delete Variant

Back in June there was a similar issue identified and coorrected. Would suggest reinstalling the primary files of SBA 1.5.4. If you still have a copy of the version you used to install on the system you can compare the new files to those and identify which files need to be replaced, added, or removed. Sorry for not mnaging "versions" better, I will begin adding some indicator other than the github recorded file date.

I tested conditions siimilar to above on a fresh install and did not come across the problem using the updated files.

OK, I check it out. Also the one-click on-page qty update feature doesnt work.

merica:

OK, I check it out. Also the one-click on-page qty update feature doesnt work.

Relatively fixed as well, though if there are validation issues on the page then that may affect the operation... But there were some issues with it around that time as well..

Is there a way to get the new version from github to display the qty available next to the option in the drop down list like it does for out of stock items on multiple drop downs? Also have out of stock display for a single drop down would be nice too as that currently doesn't work?

I have tried the recommendation from the wiki, that links to some archived forum thread on here and details some code to add but that doesn't work (with zencart 1.5.4 and the lastest version from github of this mod) and just causes the page not to load, so I assume that the code needs to be revised but I have no idea what needs to be tweaked?

~D

Draxwyn:

Is there a way to get the new version from github to display the qty available next to the option in the drop down list like it does for out of stock items on multiple drop downs? Also have out of stock display for a single drop down would be nice too as that currently doesn't work?

I have tried the recommendation from the wiki, that links to some archived forum thread on here and details some code to add but that doesn't work (with zencart 1.5.4 and the lastest version from github of this mod) and just causes the page not to load, so I assume that the code needs to be revised but I have no idea what needs to be tweaked?

~D

I'm sorry in reference to the second paragraph, going to have to be more specific than read somethng somewhere to do somethng that didn't work...

As to the other "issues", out-of-stock notifications are incorporated into some of the single dropdown options, need more information about setup to identify why that is not workng for you. As to quantity available being displayed for product with multiple attributes, I can't recall at the moment if it has been added yet or not, but if it were, it would be a matter of switch settings. Also it would only be displayed at the moment at the last selecton.

Thanks for the reply.

mc12345678:

I'm sorry in reference to the second paragraph, going to have to be more specific than read somethng somewhere to do somethng that didn't work...

It was a wiki referenced in this thread for this module, here is the link;

https://www.zen-cart.com/wiki/index.php/Contribution:Stock_by_Attributes

scroll down to '16.2 How can I show the amount of stock available next to each attribute on the product information page?' That then links to a another thread on here but details the posts to look at, link;

https://www.zen-cart.com/showthread.php?25987-Stock-For-Product-With-Different-Attributes-%28OLD%29/page11

I tried implementing the 'fixed' code but that is what causes a the page to load a blank page. Unfortunately my php and sql programming skills are a little rusty so anything more than basic tweaks aren't going to happen.

mc12345678:

As to the other "issues", out-of-stock notifications are incorporated into some of the single dropdown options, need more information about setup to identify why that is not workng for you. As to quantity available being displayed for product with multiple attributes, I can't recall at the moment if it has been added yet or not, but if it were, it would be a matter of switch settings. Also it would only be displayed at the moment at the last selecton.

Clean install of zencart 1.5.4
Then template winchester responsive
Then SEO URL mod
Then Big Royal Mail 3.3.0a mod
Then Cookies mod

All files that needed merging where done carefully with winmerge.

All the above working perfectly then I installed stock_by_attribute_1.5.4-master, created 1 product and setup to use SBA with a 'size' option dropdown and 10 options on the list, 2 with 0 qty the rest with a random positive number.

I have noticed that the big royal mail mod is setup to use read only attributes which the SBA ignores and tries to use as multi dropdown, so I have disabled the big royal mail mod until I can see if this works properly, none of the other mods interfere with this one and all files where merged carefully with winmerge.

So when displaying the the single standard dropdown it appears just as it would normally in a clean un-modded version of zencart, it shows the size for example Large and that is it, no out of stock for the 2 that are 0 qty. I tried changing the dropdown to an SBA dropdown but no change.

I used to use a version of SBA 4 years (or more) ago and it used to display the qty next to the size, but had other bugs that meant I could not use it on a live site, but this new version that works on zencart 1.5.4 seems to have fixed those bugs, but doesn't display the qty. As I am doing a complete site over haul (not live) to clean up the catalogue and code, and SBA is something I have needed for sometime I thought it would be great to get this installed to use.

~D

If the above "instructions" are complete and the correct terminology was used, then the sba variants sound like they need to be cleared and readded to only have one attribute per variant. The other thing to check is your settings for SBA display stock on product listing set in configuration->Stock.

Terminology to which I refer is readonly attributes as compared to display only... Both are intended to be view only information, but display only is an option value where read only is associated with an option name.

The plugn does show qty when setup properly, so that ssue is addressed. Read only is still being worked on at least in the multiple attribute side.

mc12345678:

If the above "instructions" are complete and the correct terminology was used, then the sba variants sound like they need to be cleared and readded to only have one attribute per variant. The other thing to check is your settings for SBA display stock on product listing set in configuration->Stock.

Terminology to which I refer is readonly attributes as compared to display only... Both are intended to be view only information, but display only is an option value where read only is associated with an option name.

The plugn does show qty when setup properly, so that ssue is addressed. Read only is still being worked on at least in the multiple attribute side.

Thanks. I reverted the code changes I made, deleted the products and started a new product with just the size and it does display the qty! So now it is on to get the rest of the site setup and start adding products.

And yes the big royal mail mod is setup as read only attributes, for the different sizes of the items, and adding these does break SBA. But I can still use that mod for the postage side just everything has to be sent as a small parcel even if it happens to be able to go as a large letter, just to make use it has enough postage paid.

I'll keep an eye on this mod to see if there are any updates for getting read only attributes working with it.

Thanks
~D

Draxwyn:

Thanks. I reverted the code changes I made, deleted the products and started a new product with just the size and it does display the qty! So now it is on to get the rest of the site setup and start adding products.

And yes the big royal mail mod is setup as read only attributes, for the different sizes of the items, and adding these does break SBA. But I can still use that mod for the postage side just everything has to be sent as a small parcel even if it happens to be able to go as a large letter, just to make use it has enough postage paid.

I'll keep an eye on this mod to see if there are any updates for getting read only attributes working with it.

Thanks
~D

It's next on the list with this plugin in parallel with applying the correct tags around the attributes to be able to hide the read only attributes (and others) in support of such other mods.

Hi,

I have just installed SBA on a test environment and it all seems to work but was hoping somebody could answer a quick question.

Is it possible to assign an already existing product ID to an attribute ID and get them to sync their quantities?

For example:

Ocean Original Waders (Visible listing on website, with 3 attributes below)
Size 5 (Attribute ID:10 - linked to separate product below for Quantities)
Size 6 (Attribute ID:11 - linked to separate product below for Quantities)
Size 7 (Attribute ID:12 - linked to separate product below for Quantities)

Product ID: 10 Ocean Original Waders Size 5 (Individual product but not shown on website)
Product ID: 11 Ocean Original Waders Size 6 (Individual product but not shown on website)
Product ID: 12 Ocean Original Waders Size 7 (Individual product but not shown on website)

So if I go and change the quantity of Product ID: 10 (individual product) the corresponding attribute for the visible listing Ocean Original Waders would update.

Reason I am asking is because my employer's website and EPOS system are sync'd and the EPOS system is restricted in that each and every product option/variant must be listed individually.

My testing leads me to think that this module will not do this but could somebody please let me know if I have overlooked something or just confirm if I am right?
Will be disappointed if it can't but would love to know for certain.

Thanks in advance, :smile:

Mathew

If your EPOS system is based on having a unique identifier, this plugin offers identifying an additional field where such an assignment/identification can be made... Overall, may require the EPOS pointing to a different set of data, but that part is possible.

The EPOS system does require a unique identifier. I had hoped I missed something but deep down I expected it would be the EPOS system that would need adjusting, although sadly that is beyond my expertise. Won't hurt to enquire with our providers though so I will do just that.

Thank you for taking the time to get back to me, really appreciated. :smile:

AnglersCorner:

The EPOS system does require a unique identifier. I had hoped I missed something but deep down I expected it would be the EPOS system that would need adjusting, although sadly that is beyond my expertise. Won't hurt to enquire with our providers though so I will do just that.

Thank you for taking the time to get back to me, really appreciated. :smile:

You know though, all that said, yes additional coding could be added to accomplish whatu are wanting without modifying the EPOS, but I would say it would be some custom coding and would also depend on the interation(s) the EPOS has with ZC, because each "transaction" type would need to be addressed as to stock quantities and to which product(s) such a stock change is to apply...

But base code, no it does not operate as inquired about.

For those using version 1.5.4 of this plugin (ZC 1.5.3 or 1.5.4) an update was uploaded to github (http://github.com/potteryhouse/stock_by_attribute_1.5.4) to address/provide the following:

1. The ability to delete all variants for a product from the admin catalog SBA screen instead of having to delete each individually.
2. Sorting of the variants internally by option name sort order and then each variant (including multi-option/multi-attribute) by option value along the option name sort order). This is a change away from internally sorting by option name and then by the option value sort order of the option value that had the lowest attribute_id for each variant. Effect is seen by selecting the sort button from the admin catalog SBA screen and only modifies the display order in the admin panel. A separate update is expected to provide sorting with respect of the attrbute sort order seen on the store front with possibility of a dropdown sort selector to view the data in different sequences.
3. Added a "quick-fix" to the single dropdown verson of the dynamic dropdowns feature to provide a message like: Please select from below as the first option to ensure a proper selection by the customer before adding a product to the shopping cart. The "quick-fix" part is that a typical message as expected for a display only attribute is not provided, so yes it is known that some additional user experience code is needed.
4. Added the ability to provide ZC standard attribute tags surrounding option names when generated by the sba_sequenced_dropdown. There is a new admin switch in the configuration->Dynamic Dropdowns menu to switch between the original Dynamic Dropdowns tags (table formatted with class="main") and the ZC standard attribute style of html tags. This supports CSS formatting of the attributes similar to the default ZC and supports other plugins like flexible attributes and is active by default. There remains one caveat to the usage of this style of formatting in that Dynamic Dropdowns, although not yet directly implemented in this plugin, is that if an attribute is identified as not being stock dependent, then the option names displayed may be negatively affected if the non-stock dependent attribute is to be displayed and is in a sequence that would normally appear above any of the stock dependent attributes. Again, not yet an issue with the way this plugin currently operates when using the sba_sequenced_dropdown option.

Read-only attributes remain to be addressed; however, didn't want to wait on publishing the above modifications that for the most part have been requested or seen as a potential issue.

On the topic of read-only attributes, the following is identified as needing to be addressed/modified to properly support the widest foreseen functionality:

1. Ability to modify a variant that is generated to remove a read-only attribute. Why? Read-only attributes (Read only option names) have the ability to have multiple option values assigned. Then in the attribute controller, any combination of these read-only option values may be assigned to the product. Drill down further as a result of the capabilities of this plugin, it may be desirable for each variant to have a different read-only option value assigned to each variant. While it is possible to generate such a variant for each applicable variant, one thing to try to do is to always provide the "fastest" way to populate variants and/or modify them to suit within the "acceptable" allowances and to accommodate methods to accomplish that.
2. Modify the admin add option values options for read-only attributes to allow individual and multiple selection of read-only option values for addition to the variant(s), as well as an option for all read-only option values to be added to each variant or if they should be individually added. The latter requiring deletion of the variants that are not to be applicable or provide a further method of identifying to which other option name/value pair(s) to apply the read-only attribute (thinking that at some point have to draw a line on this one, but at least provide some method(s) to minimize the headache of applying this aspect). More than likely to use check-boxes instead of a dropdown for this selection process of choosing the actual read-only attributes to which this applies.
3. Modify the Dynamic Dropdown aspect of sba sequenced dropdowns to support/recognize read-only attributes as non-"selectable" items (meaning no First please select nor Then Select dropdown menu entries).
4. Modify the Dynamic Dropdown aspect of sba sequenced dropdowns to ensure that display of the read-only attribute(s) is only for the applicable selection(s) ahead of it (ie. read-only attribute can change if dependent on the previous selection(s), though something may be required to "always" display a read-only attribute as compared to a specific read-only attribute for a selection made in a variant (perhaps identify if a read-only attribute is applied to all variants, then it stands to reason that it is constant and should be "displayed" even if CSS is used to then hide it.)) Some of this modification will resolve a separate issue where if no physical product (variant) is available/exists for selection of one of the option values, dynamic dropdowns is active, sba_sequenced_dropdown is selected for multiple attribute product, and display of out-of-stock items is active then the variant can appear to exist to the visitor (including "adding to the cart" if out-of-stock product can be added to the cart even though it does not exist.

So, perhaps you can somewhat see that there are several pieces to this puzzle currently identified. The first two a bit more "important" than the last two as a path is seen to move forward to possibly not use the specific dynamic dropdown code integrating the functionality further into the includes/modules/attributes.php aspect of operation which would also remove the modified template file to support dynamic dropdowns...